Release You

6. The Speak Softly Shop

CHAPTER 6

The Speak Softly Shop

Henry

I threw the takeout containers in the trash and downed the rest of my beer. Three days had gone by since my little reunion with Nikki—yeah, Nikki, because the Hipolita I knew was long gone. Not exactly the reunion I dreamed about for so many years. So many nights I wished she’d come back and tell me she never stopped thinking of me. My jaw tightened. I opened another beer and took a long swig.

Dammit, Nikki. How could I have been so wrong about you?

At least now, instead of flaunting her tight pants around the hotel with her happy attitude, as if she didn’t have a care in the world, she stayed in her room day and night. She hadn’t even come out to tell me that our agreement had expired.

I thought for sure she’d leave her room to throw that back in my face. To tell me how, unlike her rich friend, I didn’t have two hundred and fifty thousand dollars to buy this damn hotel. Or pay for a couple of hours of her company. Christ, why did I still want her after all this time? I tossed the bottle of beer in the trash and headed out.

“Hey there, Henry. I was coming to look for ya.” Russ met me outside the hotel, where the sinkhole used to be.

The guys had worked two days straight to repair the street. All that work and I still couldn’t find the damn prohibition tunnels that led to Cavalier Manor. Grandad’s dad had built them in the twenties. That was how the Cavaliers had made their fortune—James Senior had never made big money designing buildings.

“What is it?” I asked.

He smiled and rubbed a hand at the nape of his neck. No doubt he was relieved I wasn’t breathing fire anymore. Nikki being back had put me in a mood that had all my guys avoiding me.

“Well, you told me to let you know if I found anything out of the ordinary.” He looked behind him. “I think it’s best if I show you.” He gestured for me to follow him.

My heart skipped a beat when he opened the access into the manhole in the middle of the street.

“What did you find?” I asked.

“It’s over here.” He climbed down the ladder.

I glanced behind me, half expecting Nikki to be standing by the front door. When I didn’t see her there, I followed Russ down the rabbit hole.

“I didn’t make a big deal of it, you know. But I had the guys reinforce the walls in that passageway over there.” Russ continued once my feet hit the ground.

For a moment, I’d hoped he’d found a hidden tunnel. “Thanks for doing that. Something tells me our pristine mayor hasn’t been keeping up with the town’s maintenance.”

“It’s not that, Henry. This tunnel isn’t in the blueprints you gave me.” He crossed his arms across his chest and beamed at me. “I think that counts as anything out of the ordinary. Don’t you think?”

“Holy shit. It sure does.”

“Is this why we’ve been blasting half of downtown? Why we evacuated a bunch of people?” His face lit up. “You’ve been looking for hidden tunnels?”

Russ wasn’t just my foreman. He was a friend. When he heard I was back in town, he signed on to my crew, no questions asked. We picked up our friendship right where we left off. I should’ve trusted him with my secret from the beginning.

“Yes. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before. I just didn’t?—”

“Don’t even go there. Just tell me why, and I’ll let it go.” He nodded once.

“My uncle stole everything from me when Dad died.” Acid built in my stomach and spread through my body. His death would never stop hurting. Russ patted me on the shoulder, and I nodded. “Now he has the entire town on his side. I can’t stand it. Look at what he’s done, neglecting all the buildings my family owned. Gambling them away. He stole my life, and I want it back.” My voice echoed in the tunnels. “Dad trusted Uncle Jonathan with his family, and the asshole betrayed him. I’m not that little kid he could manipulate anymore. I see him for what he is now. And he needs to give back what he stole.”

Russ bounced in place. “God, Henry. ’Bout fucking time.” He pulled the blueprint holder over his head. “I told you I’d come in handy. Didn’t I say that?” He took out a blueprint, walked to the new tunnel, and switched on the light. “Electrical already goes through here. I took some liberties.” He beamed at me.

“Thanks.” I squeezed his shoulder.

He laid the blueprints on the ground and pointed to the labels. I recognized the overall design. It was a drawing of Cavalier Manor, with my great-grandfather’s signature at the bottom of the page. The only difference was the title. It read The Speak Softly Shop . Unlike the drawings for the manor, this design had every tunnel marked.

During the Prohibition Era, staying a step ahead of the police had been the main priority. Tunnels had been shut down and rebuilt as needed for a better part of the decade. At least that was what Grandad used to say. At the age of thirteen, he’d been an active participant in the family business. Prohibition ended, and along with it, the need for secret tunnels and clandestine bars.

This tunnel led straight to the manor. According to the drawings, it went all the way up to the coat closet in the Cavalier Hotel, Nikki’s side of the hotel. Had she chosen that side because she knew or because she was being nice and wanted me to have the bar? Not fucking likely. She knew about the passages in the Cavalier Hotel and how this one in particular connected to the Cavalier Manor. She must’ve used this tunnel to sneak into our house the night I found her stealing Mom’s money.

“You’ve gone through it?” I asked.

Russ shook his head. “Electrical only runs for about a quarter mile. Beyond that, I couldn’t get the guys to keep working without answering questions that, well, are for you to answer. This tunnel gives you direct access to Cavalier Manor. What now, Henry?”

Finally, a step in the right direction. A flush of calm settled in my stomach. I should be running to Cavalier Manor. I’d been waiting for this moment for months. I had the answers right in front of me, but for the life of me, all I wanted to do was run upstairs and tell Nikki about it. Would she come with me if I asked her? Or would she turn me down once again? I rubbed the side of my face. Get her out of your head already .

“As they say, let’s see how deep the rabbit hole goes.” I stared at the passageway in front of me.

“Left a couple of suits and light equipment in here, just in case you were up to the task.” Russ flashed me a grin and went into the tunnel. “I would’ve been so disappointed if you’d said you wanted nothing to do with all this. Unlike your uncle, you sure know how to live up to the Cavalier name.” He chuckled.

“Yeah. I’m the boy who ran away to a different country, scared out of his wits, remember?” I donned the gray suit he offered. It fit tight around my thighs, but the arms had plenty of movement when I squeezed them together to test it out. After I zipped it up, I picked up an ax off the pile of tools Russ had brought.

“You can’t blame yourself for that, Henry. You were only sixteen. But now you’re here. And you finally have the chance to make things right.”

“Let’s hope you’re right.” I nodded.

Past the half-mile mark, the tunnel got narrow, veered right, and dead-ended. According to the blueprints, this tunnel led all the way to Cavalier Manor. The wall blocking our path wasn’t supposed to be there. After all these years since Prohibition ended, why had someone taken the time to close it off?

I gripped the pickax and started chipping away at the concrete, along with Russ. The muscles in my arms burned from the effort, but I couldn’t make myself stop. Not until I was through to the other side. A good half hour had gone by before Russ stopped and slumped next to me. I let go too, falling to my knees.

“Fuck.”

“I know it doesn’t look like it, but we made progress.” He braced his hands on his knees.

“Damn. Looks like they just poured cement directly in here.” I glanced up .

“Someone was in a hurry.” Russ stared at the rubble around us. “How about we pick it up again tomorrow?”

I fixed my gaze on what was left of the cement wall. Nikki’s face appeared, all blonde hair and bigger-than-life smile. Things seemed so easy when she was around. How did she do that?

Wiping my brow, I reached for the pickax and stabbed at the wall again. Again and again. I’d been mad at Nikki all these years for not showing up to our meeting place. We’d made a promise to run away together. Yeah, she hadn’t shown, but I never went looking for her either. I let her down too. I broke our promise too.

My arms were on fire, but nothing mattered. I’d left this place once empty-handed. No way I was letting that happen again. My goddamn life was on the line. Another blow, and the ax went through the cement like butter, taking me with it. I fell in among the rubble as I gasped for air.

“Fuck, Henry.” Russ placed a hand over his mouth and coughed against the puff of dust in the air. “I think we’re through.” He climbed over me and got to work on removing the debris.

“Are you sure?” I couldn’t move a muscle.

He chuckled. “Yeah, come take a look.” He tossed more chunks of cement out of the way.

I got up and followed him through the small opening. On the other side, the tunnel continued. My whole body trembled while my hands throbbed, raw and bleeding. What was waiting for us on the other side?

“I have to keep going.” I swallowed against the dryness in my throat.

“I’m coming with you.”

We walked in silence the rest of the way. The closer we got to Cavalier Manor, the more I realized I didn’t have a plan for whatever was waiting for me there. But turning back now wasn’t an option. I had waited long enough to come home.

“Okay.” Russ pointed up the steel ladder. “The blueprints show this manhole is about fifty yards from the house, off the manor gardens.”

I froze. That was my mother’s favorite place. It was also the place where I’d kissed Nikki for the first time and then said goodbye, not knowing I’d never see her again. I wasn’t ready to see Mom’s Garden again. It was probably in worse condition than the hotel.

“Come on, Henry. You’re almost there.”

Right. I’d come this far. I climbed the rungs and shouldered open the manhole cover. I peeked out and felt as if someone had punched me in the gut. Of all the things I’d imagined I’d find when I returned to Cavalier Manor, this wasn’t even close to any of it. My mother was still here. Or at least a shadow of what she used to be was here.

A few months before Dad died, Mom had fallen ill. No one could figure out what was wrong with her. She simply didn’t have the strength or will to get out of bed anymore. After Lisa was found over Dad’s body, Jonathan thought it’d be better for Mom’s health if we took her to a place where she wouldn’t be reminded that her husband was dead. It all made sense to me at the time. What never made sense was that she didn’t want to see me. I’d tried for years to reach out to her, but eventually I gave up.

Later when Jonathan sent me to boarding school in Canada and told me never to return to the manor, I told myself it was time to move on with my life. Or rather, I buried my head in the sand along with my feelings. Why was Mom here?

“Now, Tessa, be a good girl and don’t move.” My uncle’s wife Francesca laughed. “I’m going inside to get your water. It’s time for your medicine. You know how bad your spells can get when we wait too long.” She strolled toward the house.

When Mom got sick, Francesca had been the first one to suggest we send her to a hospice. Now she was here, tending to Mom? What the hell was going on? My gaze darted around the garden. It wasn’t dead, as I thought it’d be. Instead, it had new flower beds and a few lemon trees along the edge of the courtyard. How long had Mom been here? Months? Years?

“Go on, Henry,” Russ said after Francesca disappeared through the sunroom. “I’ll keep watch. But hurry.”

Mom sat in a wheelchair in the middle of the garden with a blanket draped over her legs. Her eyelids drooped as she jerked her head to keep it against the headrest. I rushed to her. I had so much I wanted to say to her.

“Mom,” I whispered.

“James?” She gasped and covered her mouth with a trembling hand.

“No. It’s me, Henry.” The roses in her lap fell to the ground when I knelt beside her.

Their fragrance puffed out like dust and surrounded me with Mom’s signature scent. She’d spent so much time in the gardens, she always smelled of roses.

“Henry.” Tears spilled down her cheek as she reached for me.

I closed my eyes when she stroked my face. After a few seconds, she let her hand fall back on her lap.

I took her hands in mine. “If I’d known you were here, I would’ve come sooner. I’m so sorry. I’m sorry I left you alone all these years.”

“Go,” she mumbled. “You can’t be here. It’s not safe. Go.” She pulled her trembling hands away. It was a frail effort, but I let her go.

After all this time, she still didn’t want to see me. Why? The fear in her eyes said there was something else going on.

“Mom. Tell me the truth. Why do you want me to leave? Is someone threatening you?”

She closed her eyes and moved her head from side to side. Seeing her like this broke my heart into tiny shards. I should’ve come back years ago. I should’ve stayed with her and not run off like some wounded animal. All these years, I’d only thought of my own pain. Mom had been suffering too, alone. The pounding in my chest made it hard to think. All I wanted was to take her away from this place. I hooked my arm behind her knees.

“No,” she shook her head.

“Shh. I’m getting you out of here. But you need to keep quiet, or Francesca will call the guards.”

“No,” she said louder.

“Mom, we need to get you somewhere safe.” I let go of her.

“Henry, time to go. Come on. She’s already home. There’s nothing you can do.” Russ tugged at my arm.

My gaze darted between Russ and Mom. “I’ll come back for you. I promise.” I darted back to the tunnels with Russ at my heels. With my heart still pounding hard, I replaced the manhole cover and leaned against the cold steel ladder.

“That’s fucked up what happened to your mom.” Russ laced his arm through the ladder and let himself drop to the ground. “I swear I didn’t know she was at the manor. No one in town knows. I would’ve told you.”

“I know. God, I’m the biggest asshole.”

“This isn’t your fault.” He patted my arm once.

“What do you know about my family’s fortune?” I asked.

“After you left, I started working with my dad. The next year, he transferred the construction business to my name. It freaked him out what happened to James, you know. Dad told me your dad never got around to doing a new will after you were born. At least that’s what your uncle said. When your dad…you know…when it happened, the only will the lawyer had was the one that left everything to your uncle. Of course, your uncle swore he’d take care of you and your mom. Don’t be so angry. He did pay for that fancy school of yours.”

“He didn’t pay for a fucking thing.” I stood still as my heart spewed acid through my veins with every pump. I wanted to kill him. I wanted to squeeze his neck and watch as he puffed the last bit of air from his lungs.

All these years I’d been away, licking my wounds and feeling sorry for myself. Angry for the life my uncle stole from me. Meanwhile, Mom had the worst of it, trapped here at the mercy of Jonathan Cavalier. I wasn’t buying that bullshit that she didn’t want to see me anymore. There’d been real glee in her eyes when she saw me, glee that turned into terror in almost the same breath. Mom was a prisoner here, a prisoner in her own goddamn home.

After I found out my uncle had stolen my inheritance with some bullshit will, I’d been full of rage. Dad trusted Jonathan, his own brother, with Mom and me, and Jonathan betrayed him. He sent me away, put Mom in a garden prison, and then took the family fortune for himself. The asshole had even taken Dad’s position as mayor of Paradise Creek.

How had he managed to get control of everything Dad ever had, including Mom? Dad hadn’t been the type to forget to do things, especially when it came to his family. If what Russ said was true, I’d be willing to bet Jonathan destroyed the will where Dad named me the sole beneficiary of his estate.

The law was on his side, even the town. They believed every lie he fed them, just as I had when I was a kid. My heart shrank and squeezed painfully at the thought of Mom spending all these years half-alive. The fortune didn’t matter. All I cared about was setting things right for her.

Killing Jonathan would be doing him a kindness. He deserved much worse. I wanted to see him grovel at Mom’s feet and beg for forgiveness. There was only one way to fix all this goddamn mess, all this injustice. I had to steal everything back from Jonathan Cavalier.

Starting with Mom.

I exhaled and wiped my eyes. What I needed was a thief. Nikki’s voice echoed in my mind.

“Now that we’ve established I have certain skills you could use, tell me about you. What do you want?”